Thursday, December 20, 2018

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — If the upcoming end of the year finds you in a contemplative mood about New Year’s resolutions and how to improve your life, you’re probably more than ready to say goodbye to 2018.

Some folks might take a cue from Abraham Maslow, a 20th century American psychologist whose work is cited in academic journals and studied in universities worldwide. However, there are numerous myths about Maslow’s theories that abound and should not be accepted as part of his work.

Those myths are debunked in a scholarly writing by MTSU psychology professor emeritus William Compton, who has studied Maslow’s concept of “self-actualization,” or reaching one’s fullest potential.

For more than 50 years, Compton, who is an adjunct professor in the College of Graduate Studies, has examined how people pursue well-being in their lives. He wrote the world’s first comprehensive textbook on positive psychology in 2004. The third edition, co-authored with Edward Hoffman, will be available in 2019.

Compton said Maslow is best known for creating a “hierarchy of needs,” a ranking of human development covering basic needs like food and shelter to mental and emotional needs. The hierarchy frequently is expressed in a pyramid shape, but Compton said Maslow found that to be problematic.

The pyramid often misleads people to think they have to meet the lower needs fully to progress to the higher ones, as though life were a ladder-like existence.

“He said that you move back and forth between the needs, depending on the situation, depending on where you are in your life at a certain point in time, and it’s a very dynamic and fluid process,” Compton said.

Another assumption about the hierarchy is that it ignores intellectual and creative needs. Compton asserted that Maslow believed some of us don’t necessarily have to be brainy or artistic to be our best possible selves.

“The quest for higher wisdom, maybe, is not one of their motivating factors,” Compton said. “The artistic quest is not one of their motivating factors, but that’s no reason they have to be held back from reaching their potentials.”

Compton said self-actualization is not elitist, even though “self” is part of the word. In fact, Compton contended, Maslow thought self-actualized people tend to think more about others than themselves because they’ve moved beyond their basic needs.

In fact, in his later years, Maslow observed that many self-actualized people had a strong spiritual orientation. Compton said that helping others and being of service gave those people a sense of connection with the rest of the world, with a larger reality than just their own lives. This is a message that is especially popular at this time of the year.

Even so, those who look for a quick fix for depression or malaise won’t find it in Maslow’s philosophy. Compton warned that Maslow never claimed that self-actualized people are happier than other people. However, Maslow did say that self-actualization was available to anyone at any time, regardless of oppressive circumstances.

“Social aspects of our life — racism, sexism, a number of those kinds of issues — none of those had to get in the way,” Compton said. “You could become a self-actualizing person in spite of all that.”

Compton retired from MTSU in 2016. His article, “Self-Actualization Myths: What Did Maslow Really Say?,” was published in the Journal of Humanistic Psychology in March 2018.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. —The professor in charge of one of the university’s most widely used learning resources will be the guest on the next “MTSU On the Record” radio program.

Host Gina Logue’s interview with Erica Cirillo-McCarthy, an English professor and director of the University Writing Center, will air from 9:30 to 10 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 25, and from 6 to 6:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 30, on WMOT-FM and www.wmot.org.

Since students must write papers in practically every class they take, the center is an essential aid to students with questions and concerns. Located in Room 362 of the James E. Walker Library, the center provides students one-on-one tutoring sessions with writing consultants by appointment.

“We see writing as a social act,” Cirillo-McCarthy said. “Even though you might write, say, at 2 a.m. in your dorm room, at the end of the day, your writing is for an audience. So why not start that relationship, that partnership with someone who can act as an interested audience? And that’s what tutors do.”

The center’s personnel also engage in outreach services to local schools and compiles and edits “Off Center: A Creative Magazine for the MTSU Community.” The latest edition is at https://www.mtsu.edu/offcenter/issues.php​.

Cirillo-McCarthy took over directorship of the center in fall 2018. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Florida Atlantic University in 2003 and 2006, respectively, and her doctorate from the University of Arizona in 2012.

To hear previous “MTSU On the Record” programs, go to http://bit.ly/mtsu-otr.

For more information about the radio program, contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

The holiday closings also include the Student Union, Student Health Services, Campus Pharmacy,James Union Buildingand Keathley University Center. The pharmacy and Student Health Services will be open Dec. 21, but closed until Jan. 2.

MT Dining Servicesessentially will be closed, but check the MT Mobile App or go online to https://mtsu.campusdish.comto check for specific days certain venues might be open Dec. 20-21.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. —If the upcoming end of the year finds you in a contemplative mood about New Year’s resolutions and how to improve your life, you’re probably more than ready to say goodbye to 2018.

Some folks might take a cue from Abraham Maslow, a 20thcentury American psychologist whose work is cited in academic journals and studied in universities worldwide. However, there are numerous myths about Maslow’s theories that abound and should not be accepted as part of his work.

Those myths are debunked in a scholarly writing by MTSU psychology professor emeritus William Compton, who has studied Maslow’s concept of “self-actualization,” or reaching one’s fullest potential.

For more than 50 years, Compton, who is an adjunct professor in the College of Graduate Studies, has examined how people pursue well-being in their lives. He wrote the world’s first comprehensive textbook on positive psychology in 2004. The third edition, co-authored with Edward Hoffman, will be available in 2019.

Compton said Maslow is best known for creating a “hierarchy of needs,” a ranking of human development covering basic needs like food and shelter to mental and emotional needs. The hierarchy frequently is expressed in a pyramid shape, but Compton said Maslow found that to be problematic.

The pyramid often misleads people to think they have to meet the lower needs fully to progress to the higher ones, as though life were a ladder-like existence.

“He said that you move back and forth between the needs, depending on the situation, depending on where you are in your life at a certain point in time, and it’s a very dynamic and fluid process,” Compton said.

Another assumption about the hierarchy is that it ignores intellectual and creative needs. Compton asserted that Maslow believed some of us don’t necessarily have to be brainy or artistic to be our best possible selves.

“The quest for higher wisdom, maybe, is not one of their motivating factors,” Compton said. “The artistic quest is not one of their motivating factors, but that’s no reason they have to be held back from reaching their potentials.”

Compton said self-actualization is not elitist, even though “self” is part of the word. In fact, Compton contended, Maslow thought self-actualized people tend to think more about others than themselves because they’ve moved beyond their basic needs.

In fact, in his later years, Maslow observed that many self-actualized people had a strong spiritual orientation. Compton said that helping others and being of service gave those people a sense of connection with the rest of the world, with a larger reality than just their own lives. This is a message that is especially popular at this time of the year.

Even so, those who look for a quick fix for depression or malaise won’t find it in Maslow’s philosophy. Compton warned that Maslow never claimed that self-actualized people are happier than other people. However, Maslow did say that self-actualization was available to anyone at any time, regardless of oppressive circumstances.

“Social aspects of our life — racism, sexism, a number of those kinds of issues — none of those had to get in the way,” Compton said. “You could become a self-actualizing person in spite of all that.”

Compton retired from MTSU in 2016. His article, “Self-Actualization Myths: What Did Maslow Really Say?,” was published in the Journal of Humanistic Psychology in March 2018.

The fourth annual event, held in early December, brought nearly 300 children and 600 people altogether to the Tennessee Livestock Center.

At Christmas Village, children have an opportunity to learn about agriculture, make Christmas crafts and see live animals and Santa and Mrs. Claus, all under one roof. To view a video slide show of the event, visit https://youtu.be/bMFdVzr3lgc.

“It was very successful,” said Alanna Vaught, an instructor in the MTSU School of Agriculture. “We moved it to the livestock center’s big arena and it received rave reviews. People liked how there was more space and it could accommodate more people.”

About 290 children attended the event and a combined 500-plus children and parents enjoyed the festivities. Volunteers, which included Vaught’s agritourism class and a Cannon County High School FFA group, increased the crowd to nearly 600.

Children saw a cow, goat and sheep. They spent time in Little Acres interactive exhibit, allowing them to be a farmer for a day. This was provided by the Rutherford County Farm Bureau women and featured collecting eggs, milking a cow and selling agricultural products. Cookies, MTSU Creamery chocolate milk, a hay bale maze and more were available.

The event raised $2,600 after expenses, which will go toward the continued promoting of agriculture with educational materials to children and high school students, Vaught said. About $1,000 was made through walk-ups that morning.

The following week, Vaught and Kacey Roberts delivered five large boxes of food items to the MTSU Food Pantry. It was collected at the door from attendees by members of the agritourism class and Woodbury, Tennessee, FFA group.

For more information about the 2019 event, which is led by the MTSU agritourism class, call 615-653-6018.

Dr. Elliot Altman, a professor of biology and director of the Tennessee Center for Botanical Medicine Research, was interviewed by the Nashville Ledger for a Nov. 16 story about the uses of hemp. His words are available here.

Altman clarified the difference between the therapeutic properties of CBD and THC in the cannabis plant, for a Dec. 13 post at www.f3nws.com. His comments can be accessed here.

Dr. Dan Morrell, an associate professor of management, commented on an employer who fired a nurse for wearing a T-shirt featuring a Confederate flag and a noose for a Nov. 16 story in the Memphis Commercial Appeal. His views can be read here.

Dr. Vincent Windrow, associate vice provost for student success, delivered an address on how to empower first-generation college students at the second annual EAB national student success summit Oct. 3-5 in Washington, D.C. Video was posted on the EAB blog Nov. 19 and is viewable here.

Dr. Murat Arik, director of the Business and Economic Research Center, explained why Amazon picked Nashville as the location for its second headquarters in a Nov. 21 story in Smart Cities Dive. His views can be read here.

Charlie Dahan, a professor of recording industry, is featured in a new documentary about the Gennett record label, according to a story in the Nov. 24 Richmond (Indiana) Palladium-Item. His remarks can be accessed here.

Dr. Christabel Devadoss, a lecturer in the Department of Global Studies and Human Geography, discussed her photography exhibit in the Conneaut Arts Center for a Nov. 25 story in the Ashtabula (Ohio) Star Beacon. Her comments are available here.

Kent Syler, a professor in the Department of Political Science and International Affairs, explained the political importance of Williamson County in Tennessee for a Nov. 25 story in the Chattanooga Times-Free Press. His views can be read here.

Syler also mentioned several potential candidates for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Lamar Alexander in a Dec. 18 column in The Daily Memphian. His views are available here.

Dr. Philip Seagraves, an economics and finance professor, denounced so-called online mortgage calculators for a Dec. 11 post at www.cnbc.com. His comments can be accessed here.

Dr. Larry Burriss, a professor of journalism, explained holiday scams on the Internet for a Dec. 12 report on WSMV-TV in Nashville. The transcript and the video are available here.

Mark Montgomery, an adjunct professor of recording industry, talked about returning to investing in and advising creative-leaning startup businesses after grieving the loss of his wife in 2015 in a Dec. 17 story in The Tennessean. His comments can be read here.

Dr. Jane Marcellus, a professor of journalism and strategic media, commented on how associate professors can achieve full professorship for a Dec. 18 story at www.insidehighered.com. Her opinions are available here.

Reporters seeking expertise from MTSU personnel, as well as members of the campus community with expertise for media, may contact Gina Loguein the Office of News and Media Relations at 615-898-5081 or via email at gina.logue@mtsu.edu.

While some indicators — vacancy rates, home closings and mortgages — showed dips compared to the previous year, Tennessee’s growth “is still progressing and represents a robust working environment” with very low unemployment, noted BERC Director Murat Arik, author of the report.

See the full current and previous reports with detailed breakdowns and summaries by going to http://mtsu.edu/berc/housing.phpand clicking the appropriate links.

Other report highlights:

• HOME SALES:All three regions of the state have experienced growth in home closings over the year, though the data indicate slower activity in closings throughout Nashville, Knoxville, and Memphissince the beginning of 2018.

Quarterly inventories increased in all three areas with Nashville leading at 14.26 percent, followed by Knoxville with 2.18 percent and Memphis with 3.03 percent.

“This may indicate a small correction in the market for home sales, as closings in all three areas are at a low since the beginning of this year,” Arik noted.

Nashville’s closings have steadily declined while its inventory has continually increased since the beginning of the third quarter.

• HOUSING CONSTRUCTION:Tennessee saw growth in single-family, multifamily, and total construction permits from the last quarter as well as year over year.

Compared with last quarter, the most significant increase was in multifamily permits, which saw a 35.5 percent boost, followed by a nearly 4 percent increase in total permits and a 2 percent increase in single-family permits.

• HOME PRICES:Home prices continued their positive trend across the state, with increases across all Metropolitan Statistical Areas, or MSAs, tracked by this report.

Areas showing the most growth from last year are the Clarksville MSA(11.5 percent), the Nashville MSA(9.9 percent), and the Jackson MSA(7.8 percent). Housing prices for the state are up 7.7 percent from last year, which is 1.1 percentage points higher than the nation’s yearly growth.

Other areas worth noting are the Johnson City MSAand the Kingsport-Bristol MSA, which have both reported much stronger growth than in the previous quarter.

• FORECLOSURES:Tennessee’s foreclosure rate was the lowest in at least 18 years, although mortgages past due are up compared to the second quarter.

Even so, for Tennessee, mortgages past due are down by 0.34 percentage points from last year. Comparatively, they are also down for the U.S. by 0.02 percentage points year over year.

BERC’s report is funded by Tennessee Housing Development Agency. The quarterly report offers an overview of the state's economy as it relates to the housing market and includes data on employment, housing construction, rental vacancy rates, real estate transactions and mortgages, home sales and prices, delinquencies and foreclosures.

THDA publishes research on affordable housing, its programs and beneficiaries. THDA also coordinates state planning for housing through the Consolidated Planning process, annual Action Plans, and annual Performance Reports. See http://thda.org/research-planning/research-planningfor more information.

The Tennessee Consumer Outlook Index dropped to 159 from 199 in September, reports the Office of Consumer Research in MTSU Jones College of Business. This continues a similar decline from June to September of this year.

“However, the overall mood of Tennessee consumers remains positive, albeit not as positive as it was earlier this year,” said Tim Graeff, marketing professor and director of the Office of Consumer Research.

Graeff noted that the general decline in outlook was consistent across the state with consumers in Middle and East Tennessee showing the largest decline in outlook. To see the full report and previous reports, go to https://www.mtsu.edu/consumer/tnoutlookreports.php.

The current online survey of 630 Tennessee consumers was conducted Dec. 3-7 and has a margin of error of 4 percent.

A decline in consumer outlook is not the news businesses and retailers like hearing heading into December, since many retailers rely heavily on December sales numbers, Graeff noted.

The majority (62 percent) of survey respondents expect to spend less than $500 on gifts this year.

According to the survey, when buying Christmas and holiday gifts during the recent Thanksgiving weekend:

• most consumers did their shopping online (39 percent)

• or at big box retailers such as Walmart and Target (31 percent)

• and one-third of Tennessee did not do any shopping this Thanksgiving weekend.

Nevertheless, the fundamentals of the U.S. economy remain “strong and solid,” Graeff said.

“As such, it is possible these declines in outlook are merely a correction, as consumers find it hard to believe the economy can continue to grow and expand at its current pace, evidenced by recent volatility in the stock market,” he said.

With that volatility top of mind, Graeff said “it is easy to see why consumers’ expectations for the stock market and their investments have faded” since the market saw “wild fluctuations” during the survey period of the first week in December.

From Nov. 30 to Dec. 6 the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped a total of 878 points, or almost 3.5 percent, with some single day declines during this period reaching nearly 800 points.

For more information, contact Graeff at 615-898-5124 or Tim.Graeff@mtsu.edu. Or visit www.mtsu.edu/consumer.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. —The latest graduating class from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation State Academy has a clear picture of the evidence.

MTSU spent about $11,000 providing law enforcement officers from around the state who successfully completed a six-week course at the academy Nov. 1 with professional cameras for taking photos at crime scenes.

“This would capture a much higher quality of picture,” said Ben Stickle, an assistant professor of criminal justice administration who lectured at the academy in September. “It would also allow them to do a variety of things that are necessary for crime scene photography such as shooting in very low light and taking very close-up pictures of fingerprints and things like that.”

In cementing a reciprocal relationship with the academy, MTSU hopes to provide working law enforcement officials with even greater opportunities for professional development.

The academy was created for officers who wish to continue and enhance their skills and knowledge. Attendees must have a minimum of five years of experience as a full-time commissioned officer of a Tennessee law enforcement agency to attend the academy located at 901 R.S. Gass Blvd. in Nashville. Stickle said MTSU professors found the curriculum to be enlightening.

“We were highly impressed,” Stickle said. “Many of the individuals they bring in to speak are highly recognized in their fields.”

The department was so impressed that TBI State Academy graduates now can receive up to nine hours of undergraduate credit for their time at the academy if they enroll at MTSU. The credits are for courses in criminal investigation, crime scene investigation and special issues in criminal justice.

MTSU offers a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration entirely online with concentrations available in law enforcement and homeland security. A master’s degree in criminal justice also is available totally online to accommodate working peace officers.

The Department of Criminal Justice Administration faculty members have experience in police departments, probation and parole, juvenile justice, prosecution, criminal defense, corrections, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Secret Service.

Stickle, a former officer with the Bowling Green, Kentucky, police force, said there has been a push ever since the 1950s to get more college-educated police officers into the field.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. —MTSU graduate students brought passion into their recent end-of-the-semester Master of Science in Professional Science presentations.

Single mother Katrece Holland, who has four children ages 7 to 16, said she “found I love public health” after spending a semester working for the Tennessee Department of Health in her native Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The program received the Tennessee Board of RegentsAcademic Excellence Awardin 2010 and is recognized as a model program by the Council of Graduate Studies and the national Professional Science Master’s Association program.

Holland was one of six students sharing their conclusions to their internships this summer and fall. The others included:

• Xi Yuan (biostatistics), who did his internship at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.

• Elizabeth Anne Maples-Vaught(geosciences) of Murfreesboro, an MTSU student and employee who performed her internship with MTSU Facilities Services.

• John Simpson(geosciences), whose internship took place in the MTSU hydrology lab.

All of them graduated Saturday (Dec. 15) during MTSU commencement ceremonies. Some will land jobs with the companies they interned with this semester.

“I’m so glad I found my niche,” said Holland, a health care informatics major and mother to daughter Anara, 16; son Denim, 14; and 7-year-old twin sons Casenand Sky. “I was learning and growing, and I may end up at the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), which would be my dream job.”

Holland also said she would enjoy working for the American Cancer Society or St. Jude’s — somewhere “where I can make an impact and where money’s not involved. … I love public health.”

In her time with the state health department, she said her work involved “finding trends that lead to policy.”

Umar said three things he learned in the process were collaboration, organization and patience. He conducted inventory management, dealing with many “items sitting around 10 to 15 years” and helping organize the company’s warehouse.

As a full-time MTSU employee in Campus Planning and taking one class per semester, Maples-Vaught spent longer than the others in the program. “It has been good — hard at times — so I am glad I finished,” she said about producing a story map for Facilities Services.

Andy Flatt, senior vice president and chief information officer with NHC in Murfreesboro, said MTSU MSPS “is a very good program. It’s the right combination of business and science — MTSU is unique about that.”

No stranger to higher education, Flatt is a Lipscomb University graduate and has been chair of Lipscomb’s College of Computing and Technology Board and on Lipscomb’s College of Business Board. He is on the MSPS advisory board and said NHC will utilize two more MTSU students in spring 2019.

Laurie Fo, director of operations with National Parts-Flail Master, told the group that Umar brought “discipline, patience and was very professional. This was a very positive experience — the type of students you are putting out is outstanding.”

Vince Smith, MSPS business core coordinator, followed up with Fo’s comments by adding, “We can’t do this without you (employers).”

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. —MTSU’s1,731 newest graduatesare out in the world and ready to use their education after receiving their degrees — and words of encouragement from enthusiastic guest speakers — in the university’s fall 2018 commencementceremonies Saturday, Dec. 15, in Murphy Center.

Wanda Lyle, managing director of UBS AG and general manager of the UBS Business Solutions Center in Nashville, urged students at MTSU’s morning graduation ceremony to recall the adage “education is a gift.”

“It’s true, but your education is yours, your accomplishment, that you own, and you will define how best to use it,” she said. "The opportunity to earn your college degree is surely a gift, but successfully completing your education is not.

“It's the product of your hard work. Youdid that. You own it. Be proud of what you have accomplished; no one can ever take your education or the confidence and skills and what you’ve gained from it away from you.”

Alumna and WSMV-Channel 4 news anchor and journalist Holly Thompson reminded her fellow Blue Raiders at the afternoon commencement to hold fast to their principles and have faith in their abilities.

“You are paving your own way, forging your own path,” she said. “At some point, you will face conflict. You will face fear. You will hear naysayers doubt you, maybe even ridicule you and try to quench your fire and your passion.

“My two years at MTSU have been fantastic. I love MTSU and probably will be back getting my master’s some time soon,” the Motlow State Community College transfer said, adding that a job with Cannon County Schools’ Woodland Elementary School awaits her.

“My professors have been wonderful, and my supervisor has been great.”

Integrated studies major BryTavious Chambersof Memphis, who graduated from MTSU’s University Collegethe same month a rap single he produced went double platinum and No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was nominated for two Grammy Awards, said he was glad he’d chosen MTSU for his education.

“I learned so much academically and personally while being here at MTSU,” Chambers, known professionally as“Tay Keith,”said. “I enjoyed my four years here, and I appreciate all of the support I received from the community while in school.”

Chambers produced rap superstar Travis Scott’s No. 1 track, “SICKO MODE” with Drake, Big Hawk and Swae Lee, which was nominated for the best rap performance and best rap song Grammys and is part of Scott’s also-nominated No. 1 “Astroworld” album.

In his senior year alone, besides the double-platinum “SICKO MODE,” Chambers produced nearly a dozen hot tracks for both renowned artists and newcomers, including DJ BlocBoy JB’s triple-platinum “Look Alive"; Drake's “Nonstop,” which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard charts; Lil Wayne's "Hasta La Vista"; and Eminem's "Not Alike."

MTSU President Sidney A. McPheeencouraged the new graduates to “bask in the glory that surrounds this day” but reminded them that it’s also a starting point for their next adventures.

"This is indeed a day of celebration for all of us,” McPhee said. "You may feel that this long journey is over; we feel that it is just a comma, not a period, in your story. It is the beginning of even greater things to come."

U.S. Army veteran Jay Strobino received his degree in exercise science from the ​College of Behavioral and Health Sciences in the afternoon ceremony, still clearly humbled by recent on-campus recognition. The Silver Star recipient, shot 13 times during one-on-one combat in Iraq in 2006, received a special student veteran’s award and a standing ovation at the university’s recent Board of Trustees meeting.

Strobino, now living in Nashville, was effusive in his praise of the MTSU Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center. He paused his academic journey in 2013, and the organization helped him recognize that he’d already earned enough college credits for a degree.

On Saturday, the Connecticut native celebrated his new degree with his wife and kids, as well as his parents, who flew in for a ceremony that was delayed for five years and crystalized in just a few months.

“It’s surreal,” Strobino said, mortarboard in hand, donning a gown draped with one of the special red stoles for graduating MTSU student veterans.

“I’m blown away with the entire process that the Daniels Center has now. It’s literally veterans helping veterans and bringing them together.”

Strobino said his plan now “is to not stop.” He is strongly considering pursuing a master’s degree at MTSU.

Of the 1,731 students receiving degrees Saturday, 1,471 were undergraduates and 260 were graduate students. The latter number included 248 master’s recipients, one education-specialist degree recipient and 11 doctoral degrees.

Two graduate students and 19 undergraduates also received certificates for their advanced study.

An official program listing all the fall 2018 graduates is available at http://ow.ly/r08R30mTsEN. More photos are in albums on the university’s Facebook page, http://facebook.com/mtsublueraiders.

Graduation information — including links to maps and driving directions to MTSU, cap-and-gown information, official photographs and contacts for the Registrar’s Office — is available anytime at http://www.mtsunews.com/graduation-info.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. —Officials with Middle Tennessee State Universityand China’s Guangxi University of Chinese Medicinesigned an agreement Monday (Dec. 17) solidifying their ties with regard to cooperative research of agricultural residues and traditional medicine.

MTSU Provost Mark Byrnessigned the documents along with Jiagang Deng, who is part of a team of researchers and a major editor for the book, “Medicinal Studies of Agricultural Residues I,” which he signed and presented to Byrnes during the meeting held in the President’s Conference Room.

In the agreement, MTSU will join the team of collaborative institutes of Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Research on Functional Ingredients of Agricultural Residues, a research institute based in China at Guangxi University.

Together, they will participate in joint programs of medicinal research and product development on agricultural botanical residues, including aerial parts of American ginseng and persimmon, mango and sugarcane leaves.

“We’re excited about the opportunity of continued cooperation with you,” Byrnes told Deng and other members of the visiting Chinese delegation. “We look forward to educational opportunities for our faculty and students, and for economic opportunities that will arise with this.”

Through interpreter Iris Gao, an associate professor in the MTSU School of Agriculture and researcher with the International Ginseng Institute, Deng shared “how very grateful he was with MTSU” for the partnership and thanked everyone for the hospitality during the three-day visit. He also praised Gao for her role in the process.

Deng said he and his team look forward “to successful collaboration opportunities” and added a thank-you “for the opportunity for our faculty and students to visit MTSU. … We welcome you, your president (Sidney A. McPhee) and colleagues to visit our campus.”

Other aspects of the agreement include:

• Both universities will promote the study of the biochemical and physiologic effects of traditional medicine — mechanisms of action and toxicity of botanical materials, including kernel oil, Compound Yizhi granule and ginseng extracts.

• MTSU and Guangxi will jointly contribute to the completion and publication of the reference text, “Medicinal Plants in China and the United States,” and pursue funding to support publication of the same in their respective countries.

• Based on Guangxi University’s experience, both will be willing to make joint efforts to develop and promote health products derived from traditional botanical medicine in the U.S. market.

• Both will facilitate the short-term exchange of staff and postgraduate students.

• The rights of ownership to intellectual property jointly developed by both universities will be shared by both.

Gao said that “not only will the research collaboration be great, but both universities will work together in the commercialization of herbal medicines.”

MTSU alumnus Paul Martin Jr., chief managing member of Clarity Resources LLC, said “MTSU’s oldest China collaboration is one Dr. McPhee brought (originally) and the program is to the point where it offers academic and commercial opportunities — and MTSU’s a prime business area.”

Martin said this is a strong “investment in time and money” for McPhee, whose trips to China to further develop partnerships are funded by private donors.

In addition to the book, Deng also gave Byrnes a package with two containers of herbal tea from the Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University has been ranked among the best value English Language Learning programs in the country.

The ranking from College Choice, a digital authority in college and university rankings and resources, put MTSU in fifth place for Most Affordable Online Master’s in English Language Learning. The full ranking can be viewed at https://bit.ly/2rGjOg5.

In ranking MTSU’s program fifth for best value, College Choice noted that MTSU delivers a totally online M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction in English as a Second Language, or ESL. A student can earn it as an add-on licensure endorsement, or paired with an initial licensing, or as an endorsement only.

“The degree is multifunctional for each student’s needs,” the website noted.

MTSU professor Dorothy Craig, director on the program, said that due to the continued demand for ESL teachers spanning grades preK-12, “the program works closely with public schools to ensure that practicing teachers as well as candidates seeking the initial license in ESL are able to gain the knowledge and expertise required to effectively meet the needs presented by diverse populations within multilingual classrooms.”

“I think this recognition is well-deserved, not just because of the affordability but because of the quality,” added College of Education Dean Lana Seivers. “Dr. Craig has done an unbelievably excellent job in developing this program, and it provides an exceptional service to both teachers and school districts.”

According to College Choice, the ranking is based on institutional reputation, graduation rates, selectivity, and faculty resources. The data from their ranking comes from the National Center for Education Statistics’ IPEDS database, U.S. News & World Report, Payscale, and individual college websites.

“Middle Tennessee State University makes it easy for you to jump into a degree program without falling behind from your previous education,” College Choice noted. “Through the Tennessee Transfer Pathway program, you can easily transfer credits from an in-state community college. This will help you wrap up your undergraduate degree and be prepared to progress forward!”

MTSU’s College of Education hosted the Fall 2018 Teacher Recruitment Fair inside the Student Union Ballroom, giving dozens of graduating teacher candidates a chance to hear from recruiters about what their districts could offer while also sharing their own resumes and interest in pursuing any open positions.

The event represented the final seminar for Residency II student teachers who have spent the entire semester at teaching assignments to finish their degree track. Some have job offers already while others were looking to secure one before picking up their diplomas at Saturday’s fall commencement ceremonies at Murphy Center.

MTSU College of Education Dean Lana Seivers was thrilled with the student and recruiter participation at Wednesday’s event, recalling that when she arrived to campus in 2010 that such a fair usually would draw only a handful of school districts.

But with the state and nation facing an ever-growing teacher shortage, MTSU has emphasized growing the number of districts attending under the leadership of Bobbi Lussier, executive director of the COE’s Office of Professional Laboratory Experiences.

This year’s attendees came primarily from districts across Tennessee but also drew recruiters from Alabama and Georgia districts as well as from the Sea Dragon school in China.

“Quite frankly, we have a good product,” said Seivers, adding that her college has redesigned coursework and clinical experiences in the schools over the past several years that essentially give student teachers “on-the-job interviews” as they proceed through their programs.

Wednesday’s attendee list featured numerous public school districts, but also a variety of private and charter organizations seeking new hires. Student teachers received a booklet listing all of the participating districts and schools as well as a breakdown of any open positions and key contact information.

“Our faculty and staff have worked really hard to design our teacher education program in a way that partners with school districts and prepares teachers to go out and make that difference,” Seivers added.

MTSU ‘very supportive’ of student teachers

But in the teaching profession, graduating is just an initial step. The College of Education must then recommend candidates for licensing and those candidates must also pass a number of national tests before obtaining their licenses. Seivers said the university produces an average of 250 to 300 license candidates each year.

“The experience that MTSU gives you through student teaching, it prepares you for those exams,” said graduating senior Nicole Strong, an early childhood education major from Mt. Juliet, Tennessee.

MTSU has memorandums of understanding with 47 school districts across the state to provide student teaching assignments.

Strong, who has been a student teacher in Murfreesboro City Schools and Wilson County Schools, said the recruitment fair provided a great opportunity to interact with the recruiters, gain valuable information about each school district, including benefits.

“I had no idea of all of the counties surrounding us that were looking for teachers. This has been really helpful,” said Strong, who hopes to land a job in the Middle Tennessee area but is open to relocating farther away for the right opportunities.

Strong started out as a public relations major at MTSU, but once she became a mom, she gravitated toward the teaching profession. And she became even more so drawn to the classroom after having a second child.

“It’s been an adventure, and MTSU has been amazing at helping me through my journey,” she said. “They’ve been very supportive and I’ve really enjoyed every second in the field. … They’ve really done a great job of preparing us for the real world.”

With shortage, ‘always looking to hire’

Kris Marshall, a team evaluation analyst in human resources for Rutherford County Schools, was seeking candidates like Strong wanting to stay in the area. Sitting in one of the fastest growing counties in the state and nation, the 45,000-student district is opening two new schools this year and is constantly trying to keep up with the population growth that swells existing schools and classrooms.

An MTSU alumna herself (Class of 1985), Marshall said MTSU has provided an extremely critical pipeline of new teachers for years, so such recruitment fairs are critical for a large system like RCS, which hired roughly 500 teachers last year alone.

“We’re always looking to hire,” Marshall said. “We’re a large district and we’re growing all the time.

“The demand is serious and it’s going to get even larger as we go along in the teacher shortage,” she said, before referring to the “silver tsunami” of retiring baby boomer teachers and the inadequate pipeline in place to fill the need for not only teachers, but other occupations as well.

Echoing a sentiment from Seivers, Marshall said it’s becoming more urgent for universities, school districts and society in general to encourage more young people to consider careers in the classroom, with teaching areas such as special education, math and sciences, English language learners in critical need.

“Teachers make a big difference … but teaching is hard,” Seivers said. “It’s a calling.”

Strong agrees.

“To be there for those students who need you every day; you’re with them for eight hours and they need your support and they need your love,” she said.

After she left her last student teaching assignment, Strong said she received 48 letters from her students as a farewell gesture.

“It brought me to tears,” she said. “You don’t even realize it, but they take in so much that you don’t even see. One child said, ‘I remember how you told me I was cute when I didn’t know the answer to a problem.’ … It’s awesome to really see the impact that you make.”

The board also extended a five-year employment contract to President Sidney A. McPhee, endorsed proposals for two new academic degree programs and confirmed the selection for a faculty Chair of Excellence.

The program, which reduces MTSU’s out-of-state tuition by almost 50 percent for qualified students, now extends to those who live anywhere within states that touch Tennessee’s border. It had been restricted to those living within a 250-mile radius of Murfreesboro.

The expansion takes effect for new and returning students starting in the 2019 fall semester. Students must maintain full-time enrollment status, which is 12 credit hours and above for undergraduates and 10 hours and above for graduate students, to remain eligible.

Undergraduate and graduate applicants who have an ACT composite of 25 and above and are from Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina and Virginia would be eligible for the program. Applicants from other states touched by the previous 250-mile radius, including parts of Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and South Carolina, would continue to be eligible.

“We will not cease in our continued efforts to move MTSU forward,” McPhee said during the board's quarterly meeting inside the Miller Education Center. “This expansion provides even more opportunities for talented nearby students to attend our great university.”

Further, out-of-state incoming freshmen included in Regional Scholars Program who applied before Dec. 1, and have a high school GPA of 3.5 or higher, would be eligible for MTSU’s recently expanded Presidential Scholarship. The $18,000 guaranteed award is paid out at $4,500 a year for four years. Go to www.mtsu.edu/apply for more information.

The Regional Scholars Program is the second incentive offered by MTSU to out-of-state students who live near Tennessee. The university is also a member of the Academic Common Market, which allows residents of participating states to qualify for in-state tuition for unique academic majors not offered in their home state.

The Academic Common Market is open to potential students in Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. It is limited in Florida and Texas to graduate students. Go to www.mtsu.edu/acm for more information.

In other actions Tuesday, the board:

·approved an employment contract for McPhee that calls for him to serve in his role through December 2023. It is the first such contract extended to McPhee, the longest-serving president of any public university in Tennessee, joining MTSU in 2001;

·endorsed a proposal to ask the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, or THEC, for permission to create a Bachelor of Science program in tourism and hospitality management. The program would prepare graduates to serve as general managers and directors of hospitality operations on a systemwide basis, including both travel arrangements and promotion and the provision of traveler facilities;

·approved a letter of endorsement for a Bachelor of Science in data science, the final step necessary before THEC can give final approval for a new program. The data science degree would focus on practical implications of data, programming, data cleansing and mining, big data concepts, statistics and business intelligence, and predictive analytics and machine learning;

·elevated an existing concentration in geosciences within the Master of Science in Professional Sciences program to a free-standing Master of Science degree with a major in geosciences, which will be available starting in the 2019 fall semester;

·and approved the appointment of veteran educator Deborah A. Lee as chairholder in the National Health Care Chair of Excellence in Nursing. Lee, who has taught at several institutions, including Vanderbilt University and Duke University, is currently an adjunct faculty member in MTSU’s School of Nursing.